Elected officials and representatives of the Avon School District got together this afternoon to show off what they're calling the largest public school solar array project in New York State.
Avon School Superintendent Aaron Johnson says the array, which is located on 7.5 acres of land just east of the high school, will mean a fixed energy rate for the district for the next 25 years.
"Over the course of the 25 years, we're going to accrue about $1.2 million in credit that we can use once our electricity use overtakes the production," he said.
While there are no immediate savings on utility costs, Johnson said the solar project has the potential to generate income for the district in the future.
"Because we built a larger array than what we actually need at this point, and we're continuing to do upgrades in our facilities and lighting to be more efficient, we have this surplus that's going to be credited to our energy bill,” Johnson said. “We have the potential to tap into that down the road by partnering with surrounding schools or municipalities to take on ownership of one or more of their meters. Through those agreements, they will assume some of that credit and pay us for some of that electricity."
The solar array is owned by WGL Energy. Avon Central Schools have a power purchase agreement with the company to pay WGL for the solar energy the district uses, which Johnson said totals roughly 1.5 megawatts per year.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said the energy produced by the array is equivalent to the electricity needed to power approximately 250 average-sized homes. The project will reduce greenhouse gases by 927 metric tons, equivalent to taking approximately 200 cars off the road.
The project was also partly funded through an initiative called NY-Sun, which the Cuomo administration put in place to advance the growth of a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry.
